Paddy Pimblett and Ilia Topuria first came to blows over three years ago.
Now, both UFC stars could settle their intense rivalry as soon as this year, depending on how the next week plays out.
Ex-featherweight champion Topuria fights Oliveira at UFC 317 on SaturdayGettyTopuria headlines UFC 317 on Saturday, as he takes on Brazilian MMA veteran Charles Oliveira for the lightweight title.
The Georgia-born Spaniard has surged to the UFC’s summit in the last year, having knocked out legends of the sport to win and defend his first title in the promotion.
Topuria’s fight with Oliveira is not just huge for his own career, but it will play a significant role in the future of the lightweight division.
Liverpool’s Pimblett has followed a similar trajectory to Topuria on his rise to stardom, and will have front row seats for the latter’s bout with Oliveira in Las Vegas at UFC 317.
Although far from an easy task, if Topuria comes out victorious, a plethora of MMA fans will no doubt be calling for the Spanish fighter to meet Pimblett in his first defence of the lightweight belt.
With Jon Jones vs Tom Aspinall no longer on the cards – after the former retired – Topuria vs Pimblett would arguably be the biggest fight UFC CEO Dana White could put on this year.
The bout has been discussed as being able to sell out the Santiago Bernabeu stadium, an 83,000-seater in the heart of Madrid.
Millions around the world would more than likely tune in for the blockbuster rival bout, which is almost mind-blowing, given the pair’s mutual hatred bizarrely started with a bottle of hand sanitiser.
Topuria and Pimblett were competing in separate fights at London’s O2 Arena in March 2022.
But tensions boiled over before either man even stepped foot inside the Octagon.
Pimblett’s rivalry with Topuria has only grown stronger since the incident in 2022TheMacLife Pimblett threw a bottle of hand sanitiser at TopuriaTheMacLife Before the pair were involved in a brief spatTheMacLifeIn footage later posted by Topuria on X, Pimblett can be seen throwing a bottle of hand sanitiser before punches were exchanged between both men.
Topuria was quickly pulled away by his brother, UFC bantamweight Aleksandre Topuria, and the rest of his team after a brief scuffle with his rival before words were exchanged.
Pimblett said: “Do you think I’m scared of you?” and Topuria responded by calling the Liverpudlian a ‘b****’ several times.
‘El Matador’ quickly took to social media in the aftermath of the altercation.
“I warned you,” he said. “This is what happens when you disrespect me and my country!”
Pimblett had allegedly made negative comments about Topuria’s nationality, mocking the country of Georgia for being at war.
Both men have followed a similar path in the UFCtalkSPORT / Jordan Brightman-CharlesThe 30-year-old responded at the time: “He wanted to act hard a few months ago then tried to act the big b******* today and got hand sanitiser bounced off his head”.
At the time, not too much was made of the incident, as both fighters had their own careers to focus on.
However, it marked the beginning of a long-term rivalry that is still going to this day.
Both men were later involved in a heated exchange during a press conference for UFC 282 in December 2022, where the pair featured on the same card again.
Pimblett called Topuria a ‘Spanish sausage,’ and the latter responded by mocking the Liverpudlian’s accent.
They then went after one another on stage before being separated to prevent things escalating.
Paddy Pimblett's Last Five UFC Fights
Undefeated
Def. Michael Chandler at UFC 314 in April 2025 via third-round TKO Def. Bobby Green at UFC 304 in July 2024 via first-round submission Def. Tony Ferguson at UFC 296 in December 2023 via unanimous decision Def. Jared Gordon at UFC 287 in December 2022 via unanimous decision Def. Jordan Leavitt at UFC Fight Night: Blaydes vs Aspinall in July 2022 via second-round submission Pimblett vs Topuria seems inevitable at this pointGettyBoth men went on to claim victories on the night, and have since cemented their names as stars in the UFC.
Pimblett outpointed Jared Gordon, and defeated MMA veteran Tony Ferguson one year later before claiming successive wins over King Green and Michael Chandler.
In his last outing, Pimblett put on a statement performance by dominating Chandler at UFC 314 in April to claim a third-round TKO win.
Topuria, meanwhile, defeated Josh Emmett in a Fight of the Night bout six months after he beat Bryce Mitchell.
‘El Matador’ was then crowned the UFC featherweight champion with an incredible knockout win over Alexander Volkanovski before defending the belt against Max Holloway.
Topuria handed Holloway the first knockout defeat of his career in his last appearance, stopping the Hawaiian after three rounds.
Topuria vs Oliveira headlines UFC 317GettyIn February, the Spaniard then vacated the strap at 145lbs to move up to lightweight, and he now finds himself in a championship bout with Oliveira.
Last month, Pimblett questioned Topuria’s entire undefeated career in MMA’s biggest league, claiming he has been ‘hand fed’ opponents ahead of UFC 317.
In the same interview, ‘The Baddy’ admitted that he would like one more fight before his first shot at gold, naming No. 3 ranked lightweight Justin Gaethje as a suitable opponent.
However, Gaethje has since revealed that he has no plans but to fight the winner of Oliveira vs Topuria at UFC 317.
This may leave Arman Tsarukyan, who is the official back-up fighter for UFC 317’s main event, as the only viable option for Pimblett next.
However, if Oliveira wins, White could still match Pimblett with Topuria next in what would be an epic title eliminator bout.
Gaethje could find himself fighting the winner of UFC 317’s main eventGetty Leaving Tsarukyan as the most likely lightweight to fight Pimblett nextGettyThe most likely outcome, given Topuria is the favourite to come out victorious in Las Vegas, is Gaethje fighting for the title next, with Pimblett meeting Tsarukyan to decide the following title contender at lightweight.
Topuria has said, however, that he would love to fight Pimblett next if it was his decision, as he absolutely hates him.
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